About Marc

I’m a 41 year old male residing in Washington, D.C., USA. I’ve visited 58 countries at least once, stepped foot on six continents, and lived abroad on multiple occasions. I’ve also visited the 48 continental United States.

Outside of traveling, I enjoy daydreaming (usually about my next adventure), photography, the great outdoors, participating in triathlons and related races, collecting matchbooks, and getting on my husband’s nerves.

Hopefully my adventures will inspire you to travel. You should note, I don’t travel on a shoestring budget and if not alone, rarely travel with more than one other person. I admire those who couch surf and who prefer backpacking over using wheeled luggage, and those who take group trips, but traveling to me is a reward and I believe counting pennies on vacation, staying in hostels, and traveling in a group with an hour-by-hour schedule, especially with strangers, limits the type of adventures I enjoy. Having said that, I like to think I travel on a modest budget. I use points and miles when I can and conduct long-term planning and research for the best deals.

Q & A

What is your favorite country?
This is the most asked question and it’s probably the most difficult one to answer. I have an appreciation for every country I’ve visited. Each country offers a unique perspective and it’s truly hard to say which country was better than the other. An easier question to answer would be, “what are your favorite travel experiences?” In that sense, some of those responses are:

  • Maldives for best sunset.
  • Kitzbühel, Austria, for best skiing.
  • Burj Al Arab in Dubai, UAE, for best hotel experience.
  • Galapagos, Ecuador, for best free-roaming wildlife.
  • Hong Kong for best fireworks show.
  • Port Lincoln, Australia, for best underwater experience- cage diving with the great whites.

How can you afford to travel so much?
Some of the miles and points are earned with travel related to work. The bulk of the miles and points comes from the credit cards I have, which are all focused towards helping me achieve my travel goals (e.g., experiencing first class international plane tickets I would never be able to afford out of pocket). I currently have nine dedicated to traveling:

Yes, that’s a lot of credit cards and annual fees ($1,234), but I justify it based on my travel habits. As an example, the Citi AAdvantage Executive World Elite card has a $450 annual fee; however, that comes with several perks which have been described ad nauseam in other travel blogs. The main reason for me to have it is for the AA Admirals Club privileges, which allows me to bring up to two guests. Waiting in a lounge with drinks and snacks is more relaxing than in the terminal; otherwise it would be $59 a visit per person. Plus, I’ve experienced better customer service with agents in the lounges than those at the gate in the event I need to change my flight due to a delay or cancellation. I can also add authorized users (for free), who get lounge access even when we aren’t travelling together. (It’s a small token I can do to make others’ travel experiences more enjoyable.) Another example, is the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card that has an annual $95 fee; however, the fee is offset with a free anniversary night and 15 nights towards elite status each calendar year. Similarly, I get a free anniversary night with IHG. I view these two hotel cards more like an investment since I know I’ll stay at a hotel that will cost $200+ a night at some point in a given year. The current IHG credit card ($89 a year) on the market offers a couple of additional perks and can be viewed the same way.

What got you interested in international travel?
I’ve always been a daydreamer. I make up stories in my head every time I see a plane in the sky. Where could it be going? Who’s on board? I’m also an adventure junky. Seeing the Great Pyramids of Giza in a National Geographic Magazine or reading about the Normandy landings in history books can’t compare to being there in person. Trying Asian food in Asia is more flavorful than going to a restaurant down the street from where I live. Plus, I find the challenge of stepping away from my comfort zone and navigating a foreign city to be exciting.

Who travels with you?
It’s very difficult to find friends who have the time, have the finances, AND believe it or not, have an interest to travel abroad. It amazes me how many prefer to spend the same amount of money on a domestic ticket to visit a beach in Florida than on a ticket to a beach in the Mediterranean Sea. I’ve traveled solo for the majority of my trips, which is something I tend to prefer because I can do the things I want and at my pace. Plus, my experiences tend to be different than if I were to travel with others. Traveling with a group tends to limit interactions with locals and other travelers. I can visit friends any time. I don’t need to travel halfway around the world to catch up on lost times. This view point has changed slightly over the last couple of years since I’ve been married. I’m fortunate he’s open to traveling internationally. I can’t recall the last time I traveled in a group of three or more. I like to keep it to one companion which makes traveling more accommodating.

How much traveling in a year do you do?
I do not travel anywhere near those who blog about travel full-time and that’s where I hope this blog will differ. This blog is more about me sharing the surprise and excitement of how I felt doing something rare like flying business class versus a comparison of the last 10 business class experiences on other airlines and comparing airline Champagne offerings. I work full-time outside of the travel industry and for that reason, I consider myself a travel hobbyist. I’m thankful to have the income and time off of work to experience as much traveling as I do.

How often do you blog?
With lack of travel opportunities as a result of the Coronavirus, other priorities, and admittedly, laziness, blogging is a slow process. I intend to dedicate one blog entry per country I’ve visited on a monthly basis. Given I plan to keep adding to the 58 countries I’ve already visited, this endeavor will be a slow process. I hope to eventually post more frequent. With that said, I’m happy to answer travel related questions anytime.